Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
The dead gods drift through the void, forgotten by the world of the living, the remnants of their once vast powers trickling away. Yet, they have not completely ended. In their dying minds, they scheme and plot their return. In their vast tomb-bodies, they reforge the last scraps of their divinity into blasphemous miracles, the curses of gods who refuse to pass on. Their priests have forsaken them, their disciples and cults disbanding, and so they crave the worship they lost, hungering for a chance to be remembered, to wreak vengeance on those who betrayed and murdered them.
Sometimes, there are those who answer their desires- forging sinister pacts in exchange for the dark gifts of a god that has tasted death.
As a part of my slow but ongoing project to create other flavors of warlock invocations and powers, here are some creepy undead themed invocations for the warlock, and/or appropriate homebrew classes.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve the current ones, or ideas for new ones, I'd be happy to hear them.
Black Omen Aegis
Least; 2nd
A surge of shadow boils out of your body, forming a suit of ghostly armor that turns aside an incoming blow at just the last moment.
This invocation summons a suit of magical armor that grants a +4 armor bonus to AC. It has no weight, max dexterity bonus, armor check penalty, speed reduction or spell failure, and counts as light armor for all purposes. While it can't be removed or damaged, you may banish it with a full-round action, and it disappears on its own after 24 hours.
Black Omen Aegis may be enchanted as if it were normal armor, though as it cannot be removed, you (and the summoned armor) must be present for the entire enchanting process. Enchantments to your Black Omen Aegis armor persist between castings, as you summon the same armor each time you use the invocation.
Lastly, this invocation can be cast as an immediate action in response to an attack against you with a ranged or melee weapon that you are aware of. In addition to gaining the invocation's normal effects, that attack automatically misses. You cannot use the invocation in this way if it is already active.
Bonerip Blast
Greater; 5th; Eldritch Essence
The energy from your lance of power causes your enemy to twist and writhe, struggling against their own body, until finally their skeleton wrenches from their body and awaits your command.
This eldritch essence invocation allows you to change your eldritch blast into a bonerip blast. The round after you damage a creature with a bonerip blast, they must make a Fortitude save. On a failed save, they take damage equal to half the initial damage as their body contorts under the influence of the blast. If a living creature that could normally be raised as a skeleton and does not possess more than double your Hit Dice is slain by either the primary or secondary damage of a bonerip blast, they rise as a skeleton under your control at the beginning of your next action. Even if you kill multiple creatures with a bonerip blast, you cannot create more Hit Dice of undead than twice your caster level. The standard rules for controlling undead (see the Animate Dead spell) apply to skeletons created by this invocation.
Crypt Blast
Least; 1st; Eldritch Essence
Darker than the night, your power drains vitality from the living, and bolsters the dead.
This eldritch essence invocation allows you to change your eldritch blast into a crypt blast. A crypt blast deals negative energy damage, which heals undead creatures instead of damaging them. In addition, you deal extra negative damage equal to your charisma modifier.
Death Mask
Least; 2nd
With this magic, you may work and reshape your flesh, carving and molding it as if it were only leather and clay.
If you are undead, you may use this invocation to restore lost flesh and a semblance of life to your body for the duration of the invocation. If you are alive, you may use this invocation to remove flesh and create a semblance of undeath, or cover up wounds. Either use of the invocation does not change type or subtypes, heal, or actually restore life, it only alters surface appearance.
You may further change your appearance as if using the disguise self spell, though it only affects your body, excluding your possessions. In addition, this is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of your appearance within the limits described for the spell. This invocation has a duration of 24 hours.
Ectoplasmic Blast
Lesser; 3rd; Eldritch Essence
By weaving spiritual substance into your magic, you become capable of striking even the insubstantial and miring the spirits of your opponents.
This eldritch essence invocation allows you to change your eldritch blast into an ectoplasmic blast. An ectoplasmic blast suffers no miss chance against incorporeal and ethereal targets. In addition, a creature struck by an ectoplasmic blast must succeed on a Will save or have their movement speed halved for one round.
Eldritch Affliction
Least; 2nd; Blast Shape
With the right knowledge and a gesture, you may eschew flashy beams of energy, and simply summon your power within the bodies of your enemies.
This blast shape invocation allows you to target a single creature within 60 feet. The eldritch affliction deals the normal eldritch blast to that target. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. The target can attempt a Will save for half damage.
Eldritch Bloat
Greater; 6th; Blast Shape
You pour your power into the dead, letting the necrotic energies build, then explode outward in a violent spray that engulfs everyone unfortunate enough to be standing near.
This blast shape invocation allows you to invoke your eldritch blast as a 10ft radius burst that can be placed anywhere within 120ft. An eldritch bloat deals the normal eldritch blast damage to all targets within the area. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. Any creature in the area may make a Reflex save for half damage. In addition, any corpse in the initial area, including any creatures slain by the damage of the eldritch blast, explodes as eldritch energies pour into them. Each corpse that explodes in this way extends the area of the eldritch bloat, adding another 10ft radius burst with the corpse as the center point. Corpses not in range of the initial 10ft radius burst do not explode or add to the area. Creatures in areas of overlap are only affected by your eldritch blast once.
Eldritch Ghoul
Lesser; 3rd; Blast Shape
Twisting your eldritch strength into sharp claws and teeth, you mimic the fierce hunger of the ghoul, using it to tear apart your enemies.
When you apply this blast shape to your eldritch blast, you sprout sharp fangs and claws, granting you a single bite attack, plus an additional secondary claw attack for every six caster levels you have. These natural attacks deal 1d6 piercing and slashing damage plus your strength modifier, and a struck target is also affected as if struck by your eldritch blast (including any eldritch essence applied to the blast). These natural weapons persist until you dismiss them, or choose a different blast shape for your eldritch blast. While using eldritch ghoul, you may make melee attacks with them as you would with any other natural weapon, and they do not provoke attacks of opportunity to use.
Hungry Spirit
Lesser; 3rd; Blast Shape
You form a snarling bolt of eldritch energy that hounds your enemy.
This blast shape invocation allows you to invoke your eldritch blast as a bolt of persistent eldritch magic. A hungry spirit creates a pattern of eldritch energy in a square adjacent to you. Each turn, starting on the turn you invoke it, you may direct it as a free action. A hungry spirit can move up to 60ft each turn, and if it enters the space of a creature, it may make a melee touch attack against it, using your attack modifier. If the attack hits, the creature is affected as if struck by your eldritch blast (including any eldritch essence applied to the blast). The hungry spirit lasts either until it successfully hits a target, or for one round, plus an additional round per five caster levels.
Poltergeist
Least; 1st
Through the study of the erratic and whimsical actions of maddened ghosts, you derive an array of minor but useful powers.
When you use this invocation, you gain the following capabilities as spell-like abilities for the next 24 hours. At the end of this duration, any lingering effects from uses of the spell-like abilities also end.
- As a move action, you may pick up an unattended object weighing a number of pounds no more than your caster level, and move it from a distance of up to 100ft+10ft/level. With each move action, you may move it 30ft. Also, as a free action, you can cause the object to simply hover in place.
- As a standard action, you may create a number of ghostly lights less than or equal to your caster level that cast light as a torch. Each of these lights must remain with an radius around you equal to 100ft+10ft/level, but may otherwise be placed freely. Each light may be of a color of your choosing, and you may also designate one or more of them to give light only to you (and making them unseen to others). As a free action, you may change their colors, move them anywhere within the area, redesignate which of them give light to only to you, or create and remove as many lights as you wish so long as they do not exceed your caster level in number. If you remove all the lights, the effect ends. Using this spell-like ability while it is still active replaces the current ongoing effects.
- You may produce an effect identical to the spell Ghost Sound, except it has a range of 100ft+10ft/level.
- As a standard action, you may noticeably alter the temperature of a single unattended object or area within a 100ft+10ft range, changing it up to 40°F in temperature. The object or area cannot have a volume more than one 5ft cube/2 levels. This change in temperature persists for one minute, then changes back to normal temperature over the course of the next minute. You may dismiss this effect as a free action. Multiple applications of this effect on the same object or area cannot change its temperature more than 40°F limit.
Predatory Perception
Least; 2nd
With your honed sense of smell, you can savor the scent of life and blood, and can tell when your foes are faltering, or sustained by negative energies.
When you use this invocation, you gain the ability to sense the vitality of other creatures from a distance, smelling it like blood in the water. You gain the scent ability. Further, you automatically know whether any creature you can scent is alive, dead, undead, or none of those and what percentage of their hit points they have left, rounded to the nearest 25%.
Vampiric Blast
Lesser; 3rd; Eldritch Essence
By using your magic to puncture and perforate the flesh of another, you can release a little of their life force and replenish yourself with it before it escapes entirely.
This eldritch essence invocation allows you to change your eldritch blast into a vampiric blast. When you damage someone with a vampiric blast, you heal damage equal to half your caster level or the amount of damage you deal, whichever is less. If you deal damage to multiple targets with a single vampiric blast, you only heal damage once.
Wearying Blast
Greater; 6th; Eldritch Essence
You hammer away at your enemies with negative powers, draining away at their strength until they cannot muster the energy to even stand and fight.
This eldritch essence invocation allows you to change your eldritch blast into a wearying blast. Any living creature struck by a wearying blast must make a Fortitude save or become fatigued for 1 minute. If they are already fatigued, they become exhausted for 1 minute instead. If they are exhausted, they instead fall asleep for 1 minute. A sleeping creature may be awakened as a standard action, and are automatically awakened if they take damage (though they will still be exhausted in either case unless another effect removes it). Multiple uses of wearying blast on the same target stack for determining its effects.
Wraith Shroud
Greater; 6th
A shadow engulfs you when you invoke this magic, ripping at your corporeal nature and granting you some of the powers of the ghostly dead.
You reform your body from ghostly mist and shadow, becoming less substantial. You may choose to move through solid objects at half your normal speed, but must end your turn in an open space. Alternately, you can pass through small holes and openings, even cracks, at full speed for as long as the invocation lasts. This state also imposes a 20% miss chance on attacks against you due to your partially incorporeal state. Attacks that can affect incorporeal creatures do not suffer this miss chance.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
These all look pretty awesome! Especially Bonerip and Crypt Blast. All of the fun.
Eldritch Ghoul worries me slightly; as it lets you hit someone with eldritch blast damage several times in a turn. That said, it's no different to any glaive thingy, so...
Vampiric Blast not playing nice with AoE makes me sad. :smalltongue:
...also, shouldn't the opening say and/or rather than and or?
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
In an attempt to avoid thread necromancy, I will thank you for the elemental based ones here. I have been trying work on an elemental based invoker (that came with an elemental pet), so that will help me.
As for these, they seem interesting, and as I am planning to run a warlock soon I shall see if my DM would allow any of these or the other ones. I only took a quick glance at them, so I will have to read through them more in order to give input on them.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lix Lorn
These all look pretty awesome! Especially Bonerip and Crypt Blast. All of the fun.
Eldritch Ghoul worries me slightly; as it lets you hit someone with eldritch blast damage several times in a turn. That said, it's no different to any glaive thingy, so...
Vampiric Blast not playing nice with AoE makes me sad. :smalltongue:
...also, shouldn't the opening say and/or rather than and or?
Well, Ghoul has a few differences (not being a touch attack, for one, and being lesser, for another), so it is hopefully a little potent than the almighty glaive, but still worth it.
Also, I realized that areas kinda broke vampiric blast, so. :smalltongue: It's not meant to heal you back to full, just give a bit of HP here and there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GunbladeKnight
In an attempt to avoid thread necromancy, I will thank you for the elemental based ones here. I have been trying work on an elemental based invoker (that came with an elemental pet), so that will help me.
As for these, they seem interesting, and as I am planning to run a warlock soon I shall see if my DM would allow any of these or the other ones. I only took a quick glance at them, so I will have to read through them more in order to give input on them.
Glad you like them!
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
Well yeah, that's why it made me sad rather than complain xD
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
Two new invocations while I'm still thinking about this set:
Ectoplasmic Blast
Lesser; 3rd; Eldritch Essence
By weaving spiritual substance into your magic, you become capable of striking even the insubstantial and miring the spirits of your opponents.
This eldritch essence invocation allows you to change your eldritch blast into an ectoplasmic blast. An ectoplasmic blast suffers no miss chance against incorporeal and ethereal targets. In addition, a creature struck by an ectoplasmic blast must succeed on a Will save or have their movement speed halved for one round.
Hungry Spirit
Lesser; 3rd; Blast Shape
You form a snarling bolt of eldritch energy that hounds your enemy.
This blast shape invocation allows you to invoke your eldritch blast as a bolt of persistent eldritch magic. A hungry spirit creates a pattern of eldritch energy in a square adjacent to you. Each turn, starting on the turn you invoke it, you may direct it as a free action. A hungry spirit can move up to 60ft each turn, and if it enters the space of a creature, it may make a melee touch attack against it, using your attack modifier. If the attack hits, the creature is affected as if struck by your eldritch blast (including any eldritch essence applied to the blast). The hungry spirit lasts either until it successfully hits a target, or for one round, plus an additional round per five caster levels.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
Love them (especially Bonerip Blast). I think I might have to drop these onto a warlock BBEG in a campaign I'm running.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
Really nice job on this. Well done.
A few questions/quibbles.
Does Wearying Blast follow the same rules for damaging a sleeping person to wake them up, as per the Sleep spell? (Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, etc)
There's a missing [you] in the first sentence of Death Mask.
Poltergeist is really fun, but I don't think I'd spend one of the few Invocations I get on what are essentially cantrips. Something a little more powerful would be interesting, along the lines of Greater Mage Hand & Minor Image.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chambers
Really nice job on this. Well done.
Thanks!
Quote:
Does Wearying Blast follow the same rules for damaging a sleeping person to wake them up, as per the
Sleep spell? (Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, etc)
Probably should. Added a line about waking up due to damage.
Quote:
There's a missing [you] in the first sentence of Death Mask.
Fixed!
Quote:
Poltergeist is really fun, but I don't think I'd spend one of the few Invocations I get on what are essentially cantrips. Something a little more powerful would be interesting, along the lines of Greater Mage Hand & Minor Image.
I did consider a image/illusion type power, but wasn't sure how to handle it without overpowering the invocation (silent image on its own seems like it would be a pretty awesome invocation, in my opinion). What are you looking for from Greater Mage Hand that Poltergeist doesn't cover? Picking up attended objects? Slightly greater weight limit? Boosting both probably wouldn't be too bad.
Poltergeist is probably a little underwhelming at the moment because I was considering adding other powers to it, but didn't end up making more.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
For Poltergeist, anything beyond cantrips would fit the bill, really. Even being at-will, I'd feel like I'm wasting one of my invocations.
Maybe split Poltergeist into two invocations of different grades, one lower, one higher. The lower one could be Greater Mage Hand and...Unseen Servant, I suppose. The other one could be full on Programmed Image with some changes to the duration. Maybe you could create more than one Programmed Image with each casting, like 1/CL, or 1 per 1/2 CL, but they only last 1 round/level.
Don't have any solid ideas at the moment, but something like that might be interesting.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
I really like these, there is a really nice flavor to them (Lol listen to me I sound like a chef now).
Anyway, good job! I don't usually play necromancer types much but I would be very tempted to if there was a warlock version that dealt that negative energy damage along with all the other Necomantic goodness.
As a side note, do you mind if pinch and Tweak your Black Omen Aegis for my own Invoking class?
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
I will definitely be considering tweaks to Poltergeist over the weekend. Thanks for the ideas!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kane0
I really like these, there is a really nice flavor to them (Lol listen to me I sound like a chef now).
Anyway, good job! I don't usually play necromancer types much but I would be very tempted to if there was a warlock version that dealt that negative energy damage along with all the other Necomantic goodness.
As a side note, do you mind if pinch and Tweak your Black Omen Aegis for my own Invoking class?
Inspiring someone to play against their normal theme is generally a sign of a job well done, so I will take that as a complement. :smallwink:
Also, I don't mind at all, go ahead.
Re: Pacts with the Dead [3.5, Invocations]
I like Poltergeist as is. Least invocations aren't very useful in general: they're either a static bonus, a low level class or racial ability (wild empathy, dark vision, scent), or a pitiful nuisance. Poltergeist fits the bill quite nicely in that it doesn't really do anything powerful, but does let you do stuff you couldn't normally do. If you want concrete power level, look to the part where you create, move, or remove any or all of the lights as a free action, anywhere within the 100'+ range. This means you can effectively light up the entire area, and since you can make any/all of the lights visible only to yourself, you can do so without anyone knowing. If you can manage to plunge the area into complete darkness against foes with no darkvision, you're effectively invisible. It's like a personal only version of the normally 3rd level Ghostlight spell, comparable to the Devil's Sight or See the Unseen invocations, Instead of seeing through Darkness or Invisibility along with your darkvision, you get ghost sound and improved mage hand. (If you do alter it, would you mind leaving the original in a spoiler at the bottom?)
